Variable-mode rotary duplicator

ABSTRACT

A rotary duplicator receives copy sheets from a pair of cooperating feeding rollers. Larger first copy sheets are maintained at a first supply station, and smaller second copy sheets at a second supply station. A transporting arrangement transports copy sheets to the feeding rollers, first from one and then from an other of said stations.

United States Patent [1 3,871,640 Ritzerfeld Mar. 18, 1975 [54 VARIABLE-MODE ROTARY DUPLICATOR 3,575,410 4/1971 Snzulri 271/114 X Inventor: Gerhard RitZerfieM Schorlemer 3,698,706v /1972 Mlho evlch 271/9 Allee 14, Berlm, Germany FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Filed: Apr. 12, 1973 917,754 2/1963 Great Britain 271/126 [21] Appl. No.: 350,465

Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Bruce H. Stoner, Jr. Foreign Apphcauon Pnomy Dam Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Michael S. Striker Apr. 20, 1972 Germany 2219939 [52] US. Cl 271/9, 271/114, 271/126, [57] ABSTRACT 271/149, 271/157, 271/160, 271/162 [51] Int Cl B! 3/44 A rotary duplicator receives copy sheets from a pair of [58] Fieid 118 I21 cooperating feeding rollers. Larger first copy sheets 4 i' are maintained at a first supply station, and smaller 6 2 3 1 second copy sheets at a second supply station. A transporting arrangement transports copy sheets to the [56] References Cited feeding rollers, first from one and then from an other UNITED STATES PATENTS of Sam statons' 631,950 8/1899 Carter 271/149 X 5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure VARIABLE-MODE ROTARY DUPLICATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to a rotary duplicator, and more particularly to a variable-mode rotary duplicator. In particular, the invention relates to rotary duplicator which can be used for printing with selected lines or groups of lines, or for printing a full-page text, depending upon the operating mode which is selected for it.

Generally speaking, rotary duplicators are known in two types, namely on the one hand the type wherein an entire text page is printed during the operation of the duplicator, and on the other hand a type in which selected lines or groups of lines are printed from a text. Either of these two types of apparatus operates satisfactorily for its intended purpose. However, duplicators which are arranged to print an entirepage cannot be utilized for printing selected lines or groups of lines, and duplicators which are intended for printing selected lines or groups of lines cannot be used for printing an entire text page. Usually, the duplicator that is intended for printing selected lines or groups of lines operates with smaller sheets or cards, rather than with full-page sheets such as are employed when an entire text page is to be printed. This means that, although it has also become'known to provide duplicators which can be adjusted so as to permit the selective printing of either a full-page text or selected lines or groups of lines, supply of differently-dimensioned sheets or cards for the different printing operations is difficult. It means, in fact, that if small-sized sheets or cards have been printed and the duplicator is to be switched over 'to fullpage printing on large-sized sheets, the supply of as yet unprinted small-size sheets or cards must be removed before large-sized sheets can be fed to the apparatus. Needless to say this is disadvantageous in terms of time lost and other expenses involved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, a general object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved variable-mode rotary duplicator which is capable of being supplied with smallsized sheets or with cards on the one hand, and with full-sized sheets on the other hand, without either operation interfering with the other when the machine is changed over from one mode of operation to the other. This type of variable-mode operation is for instance necessary if, as is frequently required, the number of full-sized pages are to be printed, to be followed with a number of small-sized pages or cards which are to be printed, whereupon full-sized pages are again to be printed, and so on.

In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereafter, the invention resides in a rotary duplicator capable of variable-mode operation, in an arrangement having a supply table from which full-sized sheets are fed to the duplicator, and having beneath this supply table a feeding arrangement from which small-sized sheets or cards can be supplied to the duplicator in such a manner that these smallsized sheets or cards are fed to the same feed-in rollers of the duplicator which also receive the full-sized sheets when the latter are being fed.

The cards or small-sized sheets which are to be printed with lines or selected groups of lines are stored in a storage magazine in form of a stack, with the sheets or cards standing on edge and being forwardly inclined in the direction in which they are to be fed to the duplicator, with the underside of the stack resting against frictional transport elements and with the reverse side of the stack (in which direction the surface of each sheet or card faces which is to be imprinted) is engaged by a pressure element. Pressure exerted by the element should be as uniform as possible. The frictional transport elements may advantageously be operated periodically by means of one or more coupling arrangements.

In upward direction this stack may be delimited and engaged by one or more elements which define a gap having just the dimensions of a single sheet or card and through which the individual sheets or cards can leave the magazine andbe advanced towards the rotary duplicator.

It is particularly advantageous if, according to the present invention, an intermediate transport system is provided between the frictional transport elements and the feed-in rollers to the rotary duplicator, and if this intermediate transport system is provided with a switching arrangement which is activated by the smallsize sheets or cards passing through it, with the switching arrangement switching off the operation of the frictional transport elements as soon as the preceding sheet or card has been received by the intermediate transport system and maintaining them switched off for a certain length of time as discussed subsequently.

It is also advantageous if the aforementioned magazine is shifted towards and away from the frictional transport elements and is mounted in pivotable manner.

The novel features which are considered characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF Til-IE DRAWING The single FIGURE is a diagrammatic sideelevational view of an apparatus according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Rotary duplicators, capable of printing full-page text or selected lines, are well known in the art and are not believed to require a detailed discussion. Details concerning their construction and operation may, for instance, be had by referring to my prior U. S. Pat. No. 3,489,081. Therefore, the duplicator itself will not be illustrated or described herein.

Referring now to the drawing it will be seen that reference numeral 1 identifies a magazine 1 which is adapted to receive a stack 2-2a of cards or small-sized sheets. When this stack is to be inserted the magazine 1 with its mounting shaft 39-is shifted in the direction of the arrow E in the guide 40. It is thereafter pivoted about the pivot axis 41 into the broken-line position, whereupon it receives the stack 2-2:: and is then returned to its full-line position by reversing the operations just described.

When the stack 22a is accommodated in the magazine 1 it is pushed toward the left (in the drawing) by the wall 3 which is movably mounted in the guide 24 and is urged towards the left (in the direction of the arrow A) against the stack 2--2a by means of weights 25 which are connected with the wall 3 via ropes 26 trained about rollers 27. When a stack 22a is inserted into the magazine 1 it closes an electrical contact 4 (for instance by pressing against an activating plunger of a switch extending through a hole in the front wall of the magazine 1) which in appropriate manner is connected by electrical circuitry with an electromagnet and a nonillustrated drive motor of the similarly non-illustrated rotary duplicator. This also provides the drive for the transport elements of the novel apparatus. I

These transport elements involve the friction Wheel drive 5, 6 which drives the drive belt or chain 9 via pulleys or sprockets in the direction of the arrow D. Mounted on the shaft 12 is a pulley or sprocket 10 and one part of a two-part electromagnetic coupling means which is diagrammatically designated with reference numeral 11. Such couplings are well known and the part mounted on the shaft 12 is fixedly connected with the element 10. Switching-on of a non-illustrated switch energizes the second part of the coupling 11 so that it, in cooperation with the first part, couples a belt pulley or chain sprocket for rotation with the shaft 12, to thereby drive the belt or chain 13 and via the same the belt pulley or chain sprocket 14 and the belt or chain 15.

The element 14 is mounted on the shaft 16, which also mounts rubber friction rollers 17 which are fixedly connected with the element 14 and rotate with the same in the direction of the arrow B. Located above rollers 17 is a counter-roller 18 which is slightly yieldable. A shaft 19 has mounted on it a pulley or sprocket 20 which drives an electrically activated coupling 33 and friction transport rollers 21 for rotation in the direction of the arrow C.

A sheet metal guide 22 is mounted above the stack 2-2a in the magazine 1 in such a manner that it defines with the member 28 a gap 23 which is just large enough to permit the passage therethrough of a single sheet or card of the stack 22a. Such sheet or card of the stack 22a which is closest to the frictional transport rollers 21 is engaged by the periphery of the same which extends through a break in the member 29 and pulled out of the magazine 1, transported in the direction of the arrow C through the gap 23 and through the passage between the guides 27 and 28 to the frictional rubber drive rollers 17. It then passes between the latter and the counter roller 18, being engaged by both and being advanced via the forwardly projecting portion of the member 29 to the feed-in rollers 30, 31 which feed the card or sheet to the non-illustrated rotary duplicator. On entering into the nip between the rollers 30 and 31 the respective sheet or card activates a sensor 32 which is well known in the art and is therefore only diagrammatically illustrated. The sensor may employ an electrical switch whose contacts are closed by engagement with the respective sheet or card, resulting in initiation of a printing operation by the rotary duplicator. 1

A similar sensor 34 is provided in conjunction with the rollers 17 and is operated also by engagement of a respective sheet or card 2. When this takes place the sensor 34 which is connected with the coupling means 33, disengages the coupling temporarily so that no new sheet or card can be withdrawn from the stack 22a until the one which has activated the sensor 34 has passed through the nip between the rollers 17 and 18. Thereafter the spring-loaded sensor 34 reactivates the coupling means 33 and the next sheet or card is withdrawn from the stack in the magazine 1.

The sheets or cards from the stack are serially supplied to the rotary printer where they are printed in known manner with lines or groups of lines of text and may then be rechanneled into the bin 38 for collection therein.

There is in addition provided a feeding table 35 on which full-sized sheets-which are each to be printed in their entirety-are deposited. A friction feed roller 37 driven by the illustrated drive means (near 37) is provided which cooperates in a known manner with the sheets 36 to feed the same towards the rotary duplicator. In accordance with the present invention the feed roller 37 advances the sheets to the same feed-in rollers 30 and 31 to which the sheets or cards out of the stack 22a are also supplied. The illustrated transfer switch may be employed which permits alternate operation of the feed rollers 17 and 37, so that for instance four of the sheets 36 may be supplied to the rollers 30, 31, whereupon the roller 37 may be de-activated and the rollers 17 be switched on to supply for instance fifteen sheets or cards from the stack 22a, whereupon again sheets 36 are fed. Of course the number of sheets fed by the respective rollers may vary and the upper figures have only been given by way of example.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a variable-mode rotary duplicator, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that from the standpoint of prior art fairly constitute essential features of the generic or specific aspects of the present invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rotary duplicator, a combination comprising a pair of cooperating feeding rollers adapted to receive copy sheets for forwarding of the same to a printing roller; a first supply station for supplying first copy sheets comprising a supply table adapted to contain a stack of said first copy sheets; a second supply station for supplying smaller second copy sheets located below said first supply station comprising a magazine having a first wall provided with an opening and a second wall movable toward said first wall, said magazine being adapted to contain a stack of said second copy sheets standing on edge and inclined into contact with a portion of said first wall so as to overlie said opening therein; first friction roller means located above said first supply station and engaging the uppermost one of said first copy sheets so as to contact and expel from said first supply station said uppermost one of said first copy sheets along a first path to said cooperating feeding rollers; second friction roller means extending through said opening into said magazine so as to contact and expel said second copy sheets consecutively along a second path towards said cooperating feeding rollers; third friction roller means located downstream of said second friction roller means along said second path so as to contact and guide the expelled second copy sheet towards said cooperating feeding rollers; transporting means including first drive means for driving said first friction roller means and second drive means for driving said second and third friction roller means; main control means including main coupling means between said second drive means and said second and third friction roller means and including switch means for actuating said first drive means and said main coupling means alternately so as to deliver to said'cooperating feeding rollers first and second copy sheets alternately; and additional control means including additional coupling means between said second drive means and said second friction roller means and a sensor associated with said third friction roller means for sensing the presence or absence of a second copy sheet along said second path in the region of said third friction roller means and operative for intermittently disengaging said additional coupling means subsequent to engagement of a second copy sheet by said second friction roller means but prior to engagement of the same second copy sheet by said feeding rollers.

2. A combination as defined in claim ll; further comprising wall means cooperating with said first wall and defining with the same gap dimensioned to permit the passage of only one of said second copy sheets at a time.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1; further comprising guide means mounting said magazinefor move ment in a path toward and away from said friction roller means; and pivot means mounting said magazine for pivotal movement into and out of said path.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1, and further comprising biasing means for biasing said second wall against said stack and toward said first wall.

5. A combination as defined in claim ll, wherein said transporting means comprises belt-drive transmission 

1. In a rotary duplicator, a combination comprising a pair of cooperating feeding rollers adapted to receive copy sheets for forwarding of the same to a printing roller; a first supply station for supplying first copy sheets comprising a supply table adapted to contain a stack of said first copy sheets; a second supply station for supplying smaller second copy sheets located below said first supply station comprising a magazine having a first wall provided with an opening and a second wall movable toward said first wall, said magazine being adapted to contain a stack of said second copy sheets standing on edge and inclined into contact with a portion of said first wall so as to overlie said opening therein; first friction roller means located above said first supply station and engaging the uppermost one of said first copy sheets so as to contact and expel from said first supply station said uppermost one of said first copy sheets along a first path to said cooperating feeding rollers; second friction roller means extending through said opening into said magazine so as to contact and expel said second copy sheets consecutively along a second path towards said cooperating feeding rollers; third friction roller means located downstream of said second friction roller means along said second path so as to contact and guide the expelled second copy sheet towards said cooperating feeding rollers; transporting means including first drive means for driving said first friction roller means and second drive means for driving said second and third friction roller means; main control means including main coupling means between said second drive means and said second and third friction roller means and including switch means for actuating said first drive means and said main coupling means alternately so as to deliver to said cooperating feeding rollers first and second copy sheets alternately; and additional control means including additional coupling means between said second drive means and said second friction roller means and a sensor associated with said third friction roller means for sensing the presence or absence of a second copy sheet along said second path in the region Of said third friction roller means and operative for intermittently disengaging said additional coupling means subsequent to engagement of a second copy sheet by said second friction roller means but prior to engagement of the same second copy sheet by said feeding rollers.
 2. A combination as defined in claim 1; further comprising wall means cooperating with said first wall and defining with the same gap dimensioned to permit the passage of only one of said second copy sheets at a time.
 3. A combination as defined in claim 1; further comprising guide means mounting said magazine for movement in a path toward and away from said friction roller means; and pivot means mounting said magazine for pivotal movement into and out of said path.
 4. A combination as defined in claim 1, and further comprising biasing means for biasing said second wall against said stack and toward said first wall.
 5. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said transporting means comprises belt-drive transmission means. 